I was surrounded by darkness but a voice kept calling for me. It was
pleading with me to fight the darkness and return to the light. The voice
was so unbelievably sad and yet commanding at the same time. It told me
that I was not a coward and that I had once said that life was never fair
and only cowards commit suicide. With those words ringing in my ears I was
taken back to a time long before Christine.
I was in Persia, demonstrating my amazing magical and musical abilities when I first saw her. There was nothing extraordinary about her appearance and yet she stood out. Just like I did. But she wore no mask. No what made her stand out was her concern for her fellow man. There stood one of the few truly caring people I had ever met among a palace full of people who loved to torture their fellow man. She almost made me seem normal.
Her caring came from her father who was the doctor that took care of the entire palace. I often found her watching me with unmasked curiosity and wonder, even when I was not performing. I never talked to her or even made eye contact until one fateful day. I was out riding my favorite horse when it was startled and threw me. I hit the ground rather hard and was knocked unconscious. I lay there for sometime until a soft gentle hand surveying the bump on my head awakened me. My eyes met her gentle green eyes and she smiled.
"You're lucky I came along. The bump on your head looks pretty bad. Can you stand?" she asked softly. I mumbled words of thanks as I got to my feet unsteadily. She was at my side instantly supporting me until I could stand. I drew away from her touch instantly. I never really liked people touching me and the concern in her eyes unnerved me to no end.
"You will allow me to examine that bump in a couple of days." she said a little confused by my reaction to her. I reluctantly agreed as I mounted my horse again. She did come back and take care of me, which surprised and shocked me. And before long she was one of the few people I could trust. In a land full of backstabbers one must rely upon allies. And that was what I thought she was just an ally but she saw more in me than I saw in her.
No this woman was nothing more than an ally to me but she loved me and told me so. But I was foolish then. Love was a foreign emotion and I never thought I would be worthy of anyone's love. Let alone someone with such a good heart, a heart that I subsequently broke when I fled Persia. She understood why I had to leave. No she had no problem with me leaving, it was just the way I left. I never told her goodbye. I had the chance but fear took over and I ran. I hadn't thought of her in a long while until I heard her calling to me.
The question was what destination was she calling me to. A sharp pain woke me and I suddenly realized that I was home. Lying on Christine's bed and since I was in pain and still breathing it meant my suicide attempt had failed. I remembered falling into the water and letting it drag me down until I blacked out. Suddenly a familiar voice jolted me out of my thoughts and back to reality.
"So you're awake." Nadir said coolly, "Welcome back to the land of the living." Before I could respond another voice behind him chimed in.
" I never really thought you were a coward but now I'm not sure." a female voice said. "You do remember Carissa?" Nadir said as he stepped aside allowing me to look at her.
" Of course. But why are you here mademoiselle?" I asked weakly.
"I saved you from drowning." she answered in her same soft voice.
"Why?" was the only response I could muster before the darkness overtook me again.
I was in Persia, demonstrating my amazing magical and musical abilities when I first saw her. There was nothing extraordinary about her appearance and yet she stood out. Just like I did. But she wore no mask. No what made her stand out was her concern for her fellow man. There stood one of the few truly caring people I had ever met among a palace full of people who loved to torture their fellow man. She almost made me seem normal.
Her caring came from her father who was the doctor that took care of the entire palace. I often found her watching me with unmasked curiosity and wonder, even when I was not performing. I never talked to her or even made eye contact until one fateful day. I was out riding my favorite horse when it was startled and threw me. I hit the ground rather hard and was knocked unconscious. I lay there for sometime until a soft gentle hand surveying the bump on my head awakened me. My eyes met her gentle green eyes and she smiled.
"You're lucky I came along. The bump on your head looks pretty bad. Can you stand?" she asked softly. I mumbled words of thanks as I got to my feet unsteadily. She was at my side instantly supporting me until I could stand. I drew away from her touch instantly. I never really liked people touching me and the concern in her eyes unnerved me to no end.
"You will allow me to examine that bump in a couple of days." she said a little confused by my reaction to her. I reluctantly agreed as I mounted my horse again. She did come back and take care of me, which surprised and shocked me. And before long she was one of the few people I could trust. In a land full of backstabbers one must rely upon allies. And that was what I thought she was just an ally but she saw more in me than I saw in her.
No this woman was nothing more than an ally to me but she loved me and told me so. But I was foolish then. Love was a foreign emotion and I never thought I would be worthy of anyone's love. Let alone someone with such a good heart, a heart that I subsequently broke when I fled Persia. She understood why I had to leave. No she had no problem with me leaving, it was just the way I left. I never told her goodbye. I had the chance but fear took over and I ran. I hadn't thought of her in a long while until I heard her calling to me.
The question was what destination was she calling me to. A sharp pain woke me and I suddenly realized that I was home. Lying on Christine's bed and since I was in pain and still breathing it meant my suicide attempt had failed. I remembered falling into the water and letting it drag me down until I blacked out. Suddenly a familiar voice jolted me out of my thoughts and back to reality.
"So you're awake." Nadir said coolly, "Welcome back to the land of the living." Before I could respond another voice behind him chimed in.
" I never really thought you were a coward but now I'm not sure." a female voice said. "You do remember Carissa?" Nadir said as he stepped aside allowing me to look at her.
" Of course. But why are you here mademoiselle?" I asked weakly.
"I saved you from drowning." she answered in her same soft voice.
"Why?" was the only response I could muster before the darkness overtook me again.